PREVIEW: HUDDERSFIELD TOWN V ALBION

7 December 2017

Kieran Cleeves

Brighton & Hove Albion will be looking to bounce back from last weekend’s defeat when they take on fellow Premier League newboys Huddersfield Town at the John Smith’s Stadium on Saturday afternoon, kick-off 3pm.

The teams will face off for the very-first time in the top flight of English football, as both sides made their debut in the Premier League after battling it out for promotion in the Sky Bet Championship last season.

The Seagulls occupy 12th position in the Premier League - two points and four places ahead of the Terriers, who opened their account with an impressive 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace on the opening day of the season.

Both teams won their home matches against one another last campaign, with Anthony Knockaert securing a 1-0 victory at the Amex, before David Wagner’s team secured a 3-1 win in Yorkshire.

TEAM NEWS:

Chris Hughton confirmed Albion have no fresh injury concerns ahead of the match, with Steve Sidwell the only absentee for the Seagulls.

Michael Hefele, Jon Stankovic and Philip Billing are all expected to miss out for the Terriers, as they continue their recoveries from long-term injuries.

Rajiv van La Parra will miss out on the chance to face his former club, as he serves the third game of his suspension after being sent off in Town's 2-1 defeat against Manchester City.

FORM:

ALBION: The Seagulls head into Saturday’s game looking for their first Premier League victory since winning 1-0 against Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium in early November.

Hughton’s team followed that up with a 2-2 draw against Stoke City at the Amex, before narrowly losing out 1-0 to Manchester United at Old Trafford, despite giving a credible display against Jose Mourinho’s men.

A goalless draw was then shared with Crystal Palace at the Amex, but Albion’s heaviest defeat of the season came last time out, when Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool produced a lethal performance to win 5-1 on the south coast.

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN: The Terriers have lost four consecutive games in the Premier League since beating West Bromwich Albion and Manchester United at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Three of those games have been on the road, starting with a 4-0 defeat to Bournemouth - and taking the lead against Manchester City, Wagner’s team were undone by two second-half goals.

An emphatic 5-0 defeat against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium followed, before their most recent game, which ended in a 2-0 victory for Everton at Goodison Park.

After joining the Terriers on a season-long loan from Manchester City at the beginning of last season, Mooy permanently moved to the Yorkshire club this summer for an initial £8 million fee, which could rise to £10 million.

The midfielder, who plays for Australia with Albion goalkeeper Mathew Ryan, made 45 league appearances for the Terriers last season, scoring four goals, and featured in all three of their play-off games.

The energetic 27-year-old has a wide range of passing in his locker but also knows where the back of the net is, as he proved in Huddersfield’s wins over Newcastle United and Manchester United this season.

Mooy has featured in all 15 Premier League games for the Terriers this season, and also helped Australia reach the World Cup finals after taking his number of international caps to 31 in their play-off success over Honduras.

Brighton & Hove Albion fell to a 2-0 defeat against Huddersfield Town on Saturday afternoon at the John Smith's Stadium.

A first-half brace from Steve Mounie had the hosts ahead at the break, and although Albion put in a better second-half performance, they left Yorkshire empty handed.

Chris Hughton made two changes to the starting eleven that faced Liverpool seven days earlier – Markus Suttner replaced Gaetan Bong and Ezequiel Schelotto came into the side in place of Anthony Knockaert.

There were also places on the bench for the duo of Sam Baldock and Uwe Huenemeier as Hughton rotated his squad.

The first chance of the game fell to the Seagulls, but Glenn Murray’s powerful header from Dale Stephens’ cross from the right was flagged offside – although it needed a good save from Jonas Lossl nonetheless.

The hosts fashioned their first opportunity eight minutes in, as Mounie volleyed goalwards after Shane Duffy’s header had run loose – but Maty Ryan was down to his left well in the Albion goal to strongly parry the effort.

With their tails up, the Terriers took the lead on 12 minutes – and it was Mounie who converted.

Chris Lowe’s in-swinging corner from the right was flicked on by Christopher Schindler and the ball was bundled home by the unmarked striker at the far post.

At the other end, a Pascal Gross corner was knocked down by Duffy but Stephens missed his kick as the ball ran loose.

The hosts then doubled their advantage as Mounie scored again for the Terriers three minutes before the break.

Ryan punched clear another Lowe corner but as the ball was swung back into the area, Mathias Zanka nodded it back across the box and Mounie had another simple finish from close range.

Solly March replaced Schelotto at the break and the substitute was involved straight away as he laid the ball on for Bruno to cross at the byline – but Zanka cleared the danger before Gross then saw an effort well blocked.

Davy Propper was the next Seagulls player to take aim from the edge of the area, but his volley sailed well over Lossl’s crossbar.

Huddersfield’s captain Tommy Smith then delivered a cross five minutes before the hour mark, but as Tom Ince flicked the ball towards goal, Ryan did well to block before Bruno cleared.

Ince and Ryan locked horns again soon after but once again the Albion keeper came out on top as he denied the midfielder at his near post.

Jose Izquierdo then replaced Gross in Albion's second change, before March beat two men before cutting inside and firing over.

Izzy Brown made way for Tomer Hemed with 17 minutes left to play, then Ince fired across goal and over having beaten Lewis Dunk in a one-on-one from the edge of the area.

Izquierdo's low effort was easily gathered by Lossl, and Murray then curled one into the keeper's grateful clutches on 80 minutes.

Bruno misjudged a through ball to allow Ince to draw Ryan into another smart save, before Terriers boss David Wagner withdrew Mounie for Laurent Depoitre and then the lively Ince for Joe Lolley.

Danny Williams was the home side's final change as he replaced Elias Kachunga, and that was to be the last action of the afternoon.

The result leaves Albion in 13th position in the top flight, and next on the agenda for Hughton's men is a trip to Wembley Stadium to face Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday evening.